Jo Whiley admits ‘relentless abuse’ from Radio 2 listeners affected her

Jo Whiley has opened up about the “relentless abuse” she faced from listeners during her time on the BBC Radio 2 Drivetime slot.

The 53-year-old joined Simon Mayo’s show in May last year, becoming the first woman to present on the Drivetime slot for over 20 years.

She has now opened up about how her time on the show saw her bombarded with abuse from listeners, admitting it “chipped away” at her.

She told Event Magazine: “Aside from family dramas, this is the toughest thing I’ve had to endure.

"It was hurtful, insulting. It made me look at who I am not just as a broadcaster but as a person. It made me reassess everything.

“It's too easy to hate these days, to forget there's someone just doing their thing, on the receiving end of such hostility.”

She added: “And it was relentless, every hour of every day. No matter how tough and resilient you are, that chips away at you.

“I was tearful quite a lot of the time. Some days it was hard to walk out of my front door, let alone present a radio show.”

Mayo, who left the station after 17 years, threw his support behind Whiley, slamming haters.

Ahead of his exit last year, he tweeted: “I’ve loved working with the exceptional Jo Whiley and when the show was ‘reconfigured’ she was my first and only choice.

“Some of the abuse she has had here has been appalling. Support for a show is one thing, assaulting the dignity of a warm-hearted and loyal friend is another.”

The show came to an end in December, when Sara Cox took over the Drivetime slot.

Whiley is now set to host her own evening music show on Radio 2, admitting it is her “dream show" to work on.